Roberto Abbado appointed next artistic director of National Symphony Orchestra

Italian conductor to begin three-year term in January 2026

Italian conductor Roberto Abbado (KNSO)

Italian maestro Roberto Abbado, who has captivated Korean audiences through two previous collaborations with the Korean National Symphony Orchestra, will officially assume the role of KNSO artistic director starting January 2026, the orchestra announced Tuesday. He will succeed Belgian conductor David Reiland, who has held the post since 2020.

Abbado, 70, was appointed for a three-year term as the orchestra’s eighth artistic director. He previously led the KNSO in Bellini’s “Norma” in 2023, which was their first collaboration, and in a moving performance of Verdi’s “Requiem” this March.

Currently the principal conductor of the Filarmonica del Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Abbado is renowned for his “interpretative depth and distinctive programming” — a combination that earned him the prestigious Premio Abbiati Prize from the Italian Music Critics Association.

He has served as music director of the Munich Radio Orchestra, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia in Valencia, Spain, and the Festival Verdi in Parma, Italy. He has appeared with some of the world’s most celebrated orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Italian maestro Roberto Abbado leads the Korean National Symphony Orchestra in a performance of Verdi’s “Requiem," at the Seoul Arts Center, March 9. (KNSO)

He is also known as a passionate advocate of contemporary music, premiering works by Charles Wuorinen, Pascal Dusapin, Luca Francesconi and Silvia Colasanti as well as 20th-century composers such as Luciano Berio and Olivier Messiaen.

Abbado has recorded four albums under RCA Records. Also, he has shown a dedication to uncovering lesser-known operas, recording and introducing works such as “Tancredi,” “Don Pasquale,” “Il Trovatore” and “Un Ballo in Maschera” — operas by 19th-century Romantic composers such as Verdi and Rossini.

Abbado praised the Korean orchestra for its “spirit of exploration and flexibility,” adding, “The musicians’ capabilities and their curiosity to pursue new musical paths are their greatest strengths. I look forward to the music we will create together.”

“With Maestro Abbado’s visionary leadership and global experience, we will elevate the value we’ve built over the past 40 years and continue to deliver performances befitting Korea’s national orchestra,” an official from the orchestra said.